528 Mr. G. Lewis' supplementary note on the 



It may be suggested that if what I have said regarding 

 sun-ray structure is correct, the matter may be proved 

 once for all, by measuring the strise or ribs on a scale or 

 feather. For we know the lengths of solar-rays, and if 

 the strise correspond with them, this evidence may be 

 accepted as a proof of their origin. But " a common 

 sunbeam," says the author quoted, " contains waves of 

 all kinds, — besides those which j^roduce light, the sun 

 sends forth incessantly a multitude of waves which pro- 

 duce no light. The largest waves which the sun sends 

 forth are of a non-luminous character, though they 

 possess the highest heating power. The lengths vary 

 from about l-30,000th to l-60,000th of an inch." Any 

 structure, therefore, produced by the direct solar-rays 

 would not, even if the object impressed were rigidly 

 stationary, tally with any particular measurement. Yet 

 with this, it would be a test of no mean value to measure 

 the colour-giving striae of Geotrupcs lu/pocrita, and com- 

 pare them with those on the under surface of Polijbothris, 

 and these again with the striae on Carabus Hispanus and 

 Pterostichus metallicus, for the sculpture should not be so 

 fine on the first and second as on the two others. Geo- 

 trupes auratus is an insect on which both kinds of striae 

 are found, one on the upper, the other on the lower 

 surface ; the first reflects red, the second golden green, 

 and these colours closely agree in their respective parts 

 to those seen in Polijbothris and Carabus. 



Here I may again . call attention to the peculiar geo- 

 graphical position and varied climates of Japan, to which 

 I formerly referred in the note on Damaster, for it enables 

 us to trace in the islands, more clearly than any other 

 area of the globe, the climatical influences which every- 

 where multiply species, and give so much diversity to the 

 faunas of the world. And it necessarily follows that 

 allied influences are at work on the great continents of 

 Asia and of Europe, but why do not the characters here 

 spoken of reveal themselves as conspicuously in the 

 Carabi of the European catalogue ? In Europe there 

 are broad areas with lateral mountain ranges, and species 

 are not forced to extend themselves solely to the north or 

 to the south ; and continents admit also of migration 

 from east to west and from west to east, and early 

 divergent geographical forms would mingle together and 

 after a time return perhaps to the home and habits of 

 their predecessors. Thus, as generations slip away, the 



